Bluffton's first club for young men

How many silk ties, bowlers, Hombergs and

very stiff shirt collars are in this photo?

How many silk ties, bowlers, Hombergs and very stiff shirt collars are in this photo? Sometime between 1910 and 1915 this group of well-dressed young Bluffton men posed for a group photograph.

We aren’t certain, but this group could be the Bluffton Men’s Quaint Klub. If so, this was Bluffton’s first social club for young men that was not a lodge. This group met in the second floor of what today is the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center.

There are many familiar last names here, including Kibele, Baumgartner, Ewing and Romey.

Front row from left, Otto Kibele, Elmer Baumgartner, Elmer Ewing and Bert Mann.

Second row from left, Otto Bigler, Rob McPeak, Emil Kraft and Elmer Richards.

Third row from left, Albert Baumgartner, Ollie Bentley, Will Romey, Amos (Jim) Althaus and Gid Locher.

Top row from left, Josh Lugibihl, Charlie Doty, Hector Kibele, Fred Wilch and Otis Goble.